Scarred Rose
by LoveHateEverythingInBetween
Summary: Lilyrose Curtis is the twin sister of Sodapop, just going through life day by day with the gang having fun. Suddenly,her life changes just by setting eyes on the baddest hood in Tulsa, Tim Shepard.
1. Prologue

Life has never been simple, not for me, not for my family, and especially not my cat Lucky. You see, Lucky came along about ten years ago when she was a scraggly little kitten with a belly full of worms. The minute I saw her meowin' at the screen door I fell in love, much to my parents' dismay. They gave me every reason as to why we couldn't keep her, but I always secretly took the leftovers from dinner we didn't store and fed them to little Lucky.

She would always wait by the trashcan in the backyard, curled up and twitchin' from her dreams but as soon as she smelled me coming she was up and swishin' her tail. Soon enough, mom and dad broke down and let me keep the kitten inside, this time much to my brothers' dismay. Once my younger brother, Ponyboy, and I had given her a bath we realized how pretty she really was.

Her fur was a deep brown color, shinin' seamlessly over her tiny muscles only interrupted by small spots of black and gold. Her big green eyes looked up at me and I heard dad sigh before walkin' over, the old wooden floors creakin' as he went.

"Well, ladybug, looks like you take on after your grandmother more than we thought," I heard him say before sittin' down next to me on the couch and reaching out a hand to pet the now purring kitten.

"How is that, daddy?" I ask, cuddlin' Lucky close to my chest and giggling when she settles down into my lap for a nap.

"Your grandma was one of the few who saw more to people then where they lived and what mask they put up. It makes me proud that you see more, too," he says, smiling down at me and pattin' me on the head before heading off to him and mom's room for bed.

I sat there on the couch for a while with Lucky curled up and dreamin' on my lap, pondering my dad's words and trying to make sense of them. Now, years later in a world where my dad doesn't chase me around the house and wrestle with my brother's, where the only time we see him and mom is when the boys and I make the long drive to the cemetery, I finally understand.

**Hey guys, this whole prologue ties into the end of the story so stay tuned, but go ahead and let me know what you think her dad meant to her with those words. I should have another chapter up pretty soon, so please review to let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 1

Rain. Possibly God's worst creation ever, next to Two-Bit of course. I was currently slumped on my bed, Lucky curled up into my side, lookin' out my window as the rain pelts against the glass. There's a steady plunking sound as an old rusty cooking pot catches the drips of water leakin' from the ceiling by my closet. Darry's a roofer, but he's so busy working on everyone else's houses he can't even fix up his own! But I don't blame him, it's always so loud and busy here at the house no one can get anything done and he works as hard as he can to support my brothers and I.

I hear the front door creak open and Ponyboy yelling at whoever was comin' in to not slam the door, so whoever it is, of course, slams the door. I sigh before heaving myself out of bed, giving Lucky a kiss on the head as I do so, and walkin' over to my old, beat up dresser. Pictures of the gang and my parents sit in old wood frames Darry made for me a while back and I dig out some clothes for the day.

It's Saturday so we probably won't do much 'cept maybe walk down to the Dingo and catch a movie at the drive-in. I slip on my jean shorts that have begun to fray on the ends and an old Rolling Stones t-shirt my dad bought for me a couple of years ago. I take my hair out of its ratty ponytail and brush through it, watching as it falls to the middle of my back in soft, brown waves and walk out into the livin' room. Lucky follows me, brushin' up against my legs so I pick her up as I head into the kitchen.

"Mornin' sleepin' beauty!" Two-Bit says loudly as I walk into the kitchen. He's leanin' up against the counter with a beer in his hand already, watchin' Ponyboy scramble the eggs for breakfast and hecklin' him to no end.

"Mornin' Two-Bit, little early for a drink, dontcha think?" I ask as I set Lucky on the counter and give her a small bowl of milk.

"Nah, I've been up for a while now so it's more like the afternoon, really!" he says, grinning like an idiot and I grin back as I roll my eyes. Darry walks into the kitchen in just his jeans and slaps Ponyboy on the back in greeting before pecking my cheek.

"Mornin' rosebud," Darry says as he pets Lucky on the head and pours himself a glass of milk from the container stills sitting out on the counter.

"Mornin' Dar, you workin' today?" I ask, putting the now empty bowl of milk in the sink and rinsing it out before setting it on a towel to dry.

"Only till one and I ain't workin' tomorrow either," he says and I nod, getting a bowl for Ponyboy to put the now finished eggs in.

"Lily!" I hear my twin Sodapop yell from the living room and I roll my eyes before going to see what he wants. Sodapop is lounging on the couch, with a hand mirror, and glaring at his own reflection.

"Yes, twinnie?" I ask and he jumps at the sound of my voice.

"I have a gray hair!" he whispers after looking around to make sure no one is listening in. I start laughing and he scowls at me, slumping back into the couch cushions.

"Well, what do ya want me to do about it?" I ask and he sighs like I should already know the answer. Which I don't. I mean, I doubt he even has a gray hair he's only seventeen for gosh sakes!

"Pull it out! But do it gently," he says and I kneel on the couch next to him, bringing his head down to my level so I can see it better.

"Soda, I don't see a gray hair at all!" I say laughing after inspecting his head for a few seconds. He reaches his hand up quickly, almost whacking me in the face, and points to a spot on his head. Surprisingly, there was a discolored hair but I wasn't so sure it was gray. Nonetheless, I rip it out anyway, giggling when Soda squeals like a pig and glares at me, getting up to go put the hand mirror back in the bathroom.

"What are you two knuckleheads doin' out here?" Two-Bit asks as he walks in from the kitchen armed with a whole chocolate cake and full bottle of beer. Must be time for breakfast.

"Oh, Soda had a weird colored hair and was convinced it was gray!" I say as I get up and head back toward my room. I spend the next hour in my room readin' _The Grapes of Wrath _before Steve barges in sayin' we're goin' to the Dingo for lunch 'cause the rain has finally stopped. I give Lucky a kiss on the head again before throwin' on my black leather jacket and the six of us, Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, Ponyboy, Johnny, and I head out the door and down the road.

"I tell ya, those Socs cause any more trouble on our turf imma bust their heads in!" Steve says, kicking a rock with his shoe and scowlin' at the ground. For the past month or so, Socs have been gettin' brave, comin' onto our turf and jumpin' us Greasers! The whole gang warned me not to walk anywhere alone and have been keepin' a closer eye on me for a few weeks now, though they probably don't think I notice.

It's kinda sweet, but it can get pretty frustrating too when I can't even walk to the lot a few blocks away by myself. I'm currently walkin' in between Soda and Steve, hands shoved in the pockets of my jacket which is zipped halfway up while Two-Bit walks in front of us and Ponyboy and Johnny shuffle along behind us. We get about halfway to the Dingo before the trouble starts. A blue Mustang, shinin' in the afternoon sunlight rolls up beside us and the engine turns off.

I see all the guys tense up while Soda and Steve move closer to me, squishing me in between them. Eight Socs pile out, and I'm amazed that they can fit that many guys in one car. They're all wearing nice tan pants with expensive sweaters, and rings line some of their fingers, making me flinch as I think of Johnny.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a tall brown haired guy asks his buddies, laughing and straightening out his argyle sweater

"Well Eddie, looks like we got a group of Greasers who think they can just walk on down the street all happy-like!" the blonde haired guy next to Eddie says, and I sigh at the Socs name. So typical, no Soc parent has any originality at all! My name was less original than my brothers' but still not heard very often. My full name is Lilyrose Tulip Curtis, and I love it! Flowers are one of my favorite things, and Darry always buys me a bundle of roses for my birthday. As the Socs start to circle us, the gang makes their own circle around me and I start hopin' we all make it out mostly unharmed.

"Ya'll best get lost, we ain't in the mood to bust up some no good Socs!" Steve says, glaring at the pretty boys and clenching his fists. I can see Two-Bit's fingers twitching toward his back right pocket where I know he keeps his blade.

"Bust us up? We'd like to see you try, and when we're done with you we'll be taking that pretty little greaser girl off your hands for some real fun!" Eddie leers, laughing obnoxiously as the gang tenses up even more, if that's even possible, though I can see Johnny trembling from the corner of my eye. I stick my hands in the pockets of my jacket, trying to curl into myself as the Socs wink at me and laugh. Suddenly one of the Socs that hadn't spoken yet, a shorter guy with red hair, throws a punch at Ponyboy that catches him in the face, sendin' him to the ground, and the brawl begins. The Socs make the guys scatter and I know I have to help, so I jump on the back of one of the smaller Socs and start hittin' his head as hard as I can, grabbing a fistful of his black hair as leverage.

I feel myself bein' lifted off and tossed to the ground, landin' with a thud before a Soc kicks me in the stomach. I scramble to my feet, one hand on my ribs, and punch the one that kicked me in the face with my free hand, smirking when I hear a crack. I run over to help Ponyboy who has two Socs gangin' up on him when suddenly Steve pulls his blade, followed by some of the Socs, including the one I was tryin' to get away from Ponyboy.

I back up, eyes wide, as he swings the blade at me. I jump back, hearin' the blade whistle as it cuts through the air. This goes on a couple more times before the blade catches the skin right below my eye. I get a long, pretty deep cut right below my left eye and I feel the blood begin to drip. The guy punches me in the face and I land on the ground, breathin' heavily and holdin' a hand over my face as my eyes water from the pain. Suddenly there's more yellin' and I hear the roar of an engine. I crack open an eye just in time to see the Socs speed away in their Mustang before I look over at Soda who's lyin' beside me.

"You okay, Sodapop?" I ask and he sits up, glancin' over at me before quickly kneeling beside me.

"Geeze, rosebud, I should be askin' you that! Is anything broken?" he asks, helping me sit up and he feels around my body for any further injuries.

"Don't think so, but that idiot ruined my favorite shirt by makin' me get blood on it," I say with a pout and he laughs before givin' me a huge hug. Two-Bit and Johnny suddenly appear over me, both lookin' to be in pretty good condition with only a few bruises. I can tell they're worried about me with the way they run their eyes over my body for any big injuries, Two-Bit doing it more earnestly than Johnny.

"You alright, Lilyrose?" Two-Bit asks in his serious voice and I can't help but feel that it doesn't sound right comin' from him.

"I'll be fine, what about Steve and Ponyboy? Where are they?" I ask, lookin' around and the three guys help me stand. I wince as some of my joints crack and ache but I push that to the back of my mind.

"Dally and Shepard's gang are lookin' over 'em, they'll be just fine," Johnny says and I can see Dally grabbin' Steve by the hand and pullin' him up, none too gently. I walk over to them, the guys acting as my shadow and lean over Ponyboy who's groanin' on the ground.

"Now do ya see why we never let you walk anywhere alone, Pony? We almost got our heads busted in and there were six of us!" I say and he rolls his eyes at me as I straighten up and run my fingers through my now ratty hair.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" he mutters before letting two of the guys from Tim Shepard's gang, Jay and Bosco, help him up. I see Dally standin' off to the side, a cigarette already between his lips but not lit yet, with a guy that looks to be about 19 or 20 and is a few inches taller than him. He's got a scar running down the right side of his face, from just below his eye to where the underside of his chin.

I start to wonder what happened but then I remember that this is a guy Dally considers a friend so he must be pretty tuff, it's probably from a blade durin' a fight. I'd never actually met Tim Shepard, only heard of him, but people say not to make him angry or he'll beat the tar outta you. It definitely makes sense that Dally would be a good friend of his, bein' the hood he is!

"Hey, Dally, what are you doin' out here?" I ask, knowing he's not a big fan of the Dingo and Buck's is a ways away from here, walking wise at least. He takes a drag of the cigarette he just lit and blows the smoke out before answerin' me.

"Just havin' some fun with good ol' Shepard here. Lucky for you we were happenin' by or you woulda been Greaser food, Rosy," he says and I roll my eyes at his nickname for me. Dallas Winston is the only person that's ever been able to get away with callin' me Rosy, and I have no idea why.

"Funny, Dal. Thanks for savin' us," I say and he shrugs, taking another long drag from his cigarette before letting it hang out of his mouth as he roots around in his pockets for something. He comes up with an old hanky and walks over, putting it below my eye and Soda comes rushing over.

"Let me see how bad it is, Lily, hopefully you won't need stitches," he says and carefully wipes some blood away.

"It'll be fine, Soda! Don't worry about it," I say and he sighs, going back over to Ponyboy, but not before muttering at me to keep the hanky over the cut to stop the bleedin'. I turn back around to face Dally and roll my eyes at him when he smirks at me.

"So this is Lilyrose Tulip Curtis, the only Curtis sister," Tim suddenly says, and his voice shocks me. I'd expected a higher voice from him, because of his taller and more lean body but a deep baritone comes out. I don't hear any mocking in his voice, just curiosity and I turn to look at him. He's leanin' up against a fence with a cigarette in his mouth, feet crossed and one hand stuck in the pocket of his black leather coat. He's wearin' jeans and a white, form fitting t-shirt underneath his jacket. He was, in one word, hot. And dangerous. I guess I probably shouldn't leave that out, but that dangerous feel about him was what made him hotter, even sexy!

"Nice to meet you, thanks for helpin' us out," I say, smiling in his direction and he smirks at me.

"You're right, Dally, she could be a Soc," he says still staring at me and I raise an eyebrow at Dally but when he simply shrugs and smiles innocently at me, I turn around and hold my hand out to Ponyboy. He looks at me in confusion and I sigh.

"You don't getta carry a blade if you don't have the guts to bluff with it when you really have to, Pony," I say and he glares at me. By the look in his eyes I know he's going to make this more difficult than it needs to be.

"I just forgot about it, that's all! 'Sides, you didn't take out yours either!" Pony says, raising his voice and Soda jumps in, talking quietly.

"Ponyboy, she's right! Forgetting you have a blade is just as bad as remembering you have one and not havin' the guts to use it! And you know we don't let Lily carry 'round a blade, it's an open invitation to any Soc that sees it 'cause she's a girl!" Soda says, holding his hand out to Pony and I draw mine back to sit on my hip, staring at Pony and waiting for him to give Soda his blade.

"Fine! But I'm tellin' Darry!" Pony says to me, cursing under his breath and placing his silver handled switchblade in Soda's hand. Two-Bit starts laughing at Pony's attempt to get back at me, and Soda looks at him like he's lost the little sense he had to begin with.

"Ponyboy, you really think Darry will get mad at Lilyrose for takin' yer blade away? He couldn't yell at her even if she went out and got herself pregnant!" Two-Bit yells with a laugh and I roll my eyes at him, blushing lightly at the suggestive remark.

"Well, before anything else fun happens maybe ya'll should head back to the house," Dally says and I can hear the smirk in his voice when he says 'fun'. The Shepard gang says goodbye to us and I catch Tim staring at me, a look in his eye that I can't quite place. Deciding to drop it, I head home with the boys and Dally joins us. I go ahead and throw together some sandwiches since we never made it to lunch and we lounge around in the living room talking and watching Mickey Mouse. A couple hours later Darry walks in with his tool belt slung over his shoulder, all sweaty and tired from work, but stops when he sees the First Aid Kit sittin' out on the dinin' room table.

"What the hell happened?" he asks when he turns around and sees Steve's black eye.

"We were on our way to the Dingo, got 'bout halfway there when some Socs decided to jump us," Two-Bit grunts out, eyes never leaving the TV where a new episode of Mickey Mouse was playin'. Darry's eyes immediately scan the room until they find me curled up on the couch, my drawn up legs resting against Soda, and he drops his tool belt on the table with a loud 'thud' before coming to squat in front of me.

"I'm fine, Dar, just a scrape on the cheek, nothin' more," I say but let him take off the band-aid anyways, knowin' he won't be happy till he sees for himself that I wasn't gonna keel over and die anytime in the near future.

"All seven of you were walkin' together and they still jumped you?" Darry asks, looking around in surprise.

"Nah, Dally wasn't with us he just showed up with Shepard and his gang to rescue us," Sodapop says with a laugh from his spot on the couch next to me, resting his arm on the top of my knees.

"Well, just be more careful next time yer out! All of ya have blades except Lilyrose, right?" Darry asks and Ponboy slumps in his seat. Unfortunately for him, Darry notices and raises an eyebrow in question, looking more to Soda than anyone else for an explanation.

"Ponyboy forgot he even had his blade on him when we got jumped today, even after everyone else pulled theirs out," Sodapop explains and Darry sighs in understandin'.

"Ponyboy, you gotta use your head more! One of these days somethin' real bad is gonna happen and we're gonna lose you to those damn Socs!" Darry says and Ponyboy sinks into the couch even more when Darry swears. I decide to stop Darry before he keeps going so I stand up, getting' everyone's attention.

"Anyone hungry? We never did get to eat that big lunch, all we had were some small sandwiches," I say and all the guys yell their praises. I roll my eyes and shake my head as I walk into the kitchen to start cookin' an early dinner slash late lunch.

**Hope you guys liked the chapter, it took me a while to write! I know it's pretty boring, but this was just getting some foundation underneath the story and introducing Lilyrose and stuff so the rest of the chapters should be more exciting and eventful. Also, I've gone through and tried to fix any grammar mistakes I see especially regarding my use of tenses but I might not have caught all of them so please excuse any you might see! Please review because that would be awesome!**

** LilCrafty6 :D **


	3. Chapter 2

**I am so inspired by the reviews I got! I cannot thank **_my oh mighty_**, **_clarissa_**, and **_Yehhhok _**enough for their kind words! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it's going to have a lot of Tim and Lilyrose in it so be prepared. Please continue to review because it keeps me really motivated :D **

It's been about four days since the gang and I got jumped, and things have settled down. It's Wednesday and I have to work in an hour, so I'm scramblin' around my room tryin' to find all my clothes. Darry yells at Soda and me to hurry up and I hop toward the door on one foot, tying my shoe and holdin' my apron in my teeth. I work down at the Dingo as a waitress, somethin' Darry doesn't like because it can get rough but I help pay the rent so he can't really complain much and it's summer so I have tons of free time. Soon I'm squeezed in between Darry and Soda in the old truck as we start toward the Dingo.

"Now remember, you wait till someone comes to get you after work before you start walkin' home, Lilyrose! I mean it, one of the guys will be there to pick you up and get you home," Darry says and I nod my head, staring out the front of the truck as my mind wanders.

"And if any of those no good Greasers bother you, let me know and I'll take care of 'em!" Soda says with a cheesy grin and I turn to him and laugh, knowing he was mostly joking. There was a part of Soda that was always serious, you just couldn't always see it, but I suppose having to pitch in to keep all of us together took its toll on him. We pull up in front of the Dingo and Soda hops out, extending his hand to help me down from the truck. When both my feet are on the ground I wave to Darry and give Soda a hug and kiss on the cheek before heading inside the diner. As soon as I put my apron on my boss Chuck yells at me to get started and put a smile on my face. The next four hours are long, with perverts and assholes coming in and harassin' me constantly. Currently, there was a particularly perverted Greaser trying to put the moves on me and I was starting to get seriously annoyed.

"If you're not gonna order anything and just harass me, then I think you need to leave," I huff out with a glare and he stops laughing with his friends about the most recent crude comment he's made.

"Really, now? You're gonna make me leave, sweet cheeks? How you gonna do that? I tell you what, you give me a little piece of that hot ass and I'll gladly get the hell outta here!" he says with a sneer and his friends start laughing. My face goes bright red and my eyes narrow in frustration as embarrassment makes my face turn red. I feel pain in my hands and realize I've been clutchin' my notepad and pen to my chest the entire time. I don't know what to say and in my own embarrassment and anger I didn't hear the door open and several people walk in right before the pervert made his most recent remark. A person appears in front of me, at least six inches taller than me, clad in a black leather jacket and torn up jeans. From behind I can't tell who it is but soon I see familiar people step up beside me and realize the man standin' in front of me is Tim Shepard, with his gang is surroundin' me.

"I'm not sure I like how you're talkin' to the lady, here, Gus," I hear Tim say after a short period of silence. I can hear the indifference in his voice and peek around him to see the pervert, apparently called Gus, starin' at the floor and clenching his jaw.

"Yeah, well, what's it matter to you?" Gus says, trying to sound cocky but he doesn't even look up from the floor.

"That ain't none of your business, now I suggest you get the fuck outta here before I beat your ass," Tim says, his voice deep and booming. Gus and his buddies shuffle out the door and Tim watches them get in their crappy car and leave before turning around to face me.

"How long was he givin' you trouble?" he asks after staring at my face for a few seconds, sounding angry. I just look up at him and sigh, running a hand through my hair which is curly today because of the humidity.

"Just a few minutes. Thanks for that but I could of handled him," I say with a small huff at being treated like a little girl who can't take care of herself and he nods before leadin' his gang over to a booth and sitting down. It's only when everyone resumes talkin' that I realized everyone had stopped to watch the whole confrontation with Gus and I turn red again in embarrassment and frustration, knowin' everyone saw Tim 'rescue' me. I walk back into the kitchen to get a hold of myself before walkin' out to the table the Shepard gang was at.

"What can I get for you guys?" I ask, smiling and writing down their orders as they start to talk. The entire time I kept my eyes on my notepad, feelin' Tim's stare on my face, and feelin' very self-conscious. An hour later the Dingo starts to close and I find myself sneakin' glances at Tim who is finally gettin' ready to leave with his gang. I sigh once they get in their cars and leave, slumpin' against the counter and pushing back some hair that fell out of my ponytail. Soon I'm standin' outside, waiting for one of the guys to pick me up and I eagerly jump in the car when Steve roars up in his piece of crap car. He starts laughing when I jump in excitedly and I whack him on the arm, clickin' my seatbelt on and slumpin' in my seat as I give out a yawn.

"Long day?" Steve asks with a smirk, glancin' at me before returning his eyes to the road. Sodapop and I have been best friends with Steve ever since we could remember, causin' people to sometimes call us the troublesome three.

"You have no idea! Know that guy Gus? He's short with long hair so greasy it drips?" I say before askin' about the pervert nonchalantly like I didn't really care and Steve looks over at me again, this time with narrowed eyes.

"He botherin' you, Lily?" he asks and I sigh, rollin' my eyes.

"He _was_. Then Tim Shepard stepped in and he left the Dingo, so it's not really a big deal! But it ain't like I couldn't have taken care of him myself!" I say, stressing the fact that I would have handled it had Tim not stepped in. We pull into the driveway and hop out, Steve practically runnin' to the door and me shufflin' my aching feet with a groan. I eventually make it into the house, letting my bag drop to the floor just inside the door before I shuffle over to Darry who's relaxing in the recliner, and drop down onto his lap. I curl my legs up onto Darry's lap as well and he puts his arms around me as I let my head fall onto his shoulder. My eyes have started to drift shut when Steve opens his big, stupid trap.

"Gus was botherin' Lilyrose today!" he practically yells out and I groan when Darry tenses for a moment then relaxes.

"And when exactly were you gonna tell us this, Lily?" Ponyboy asks and I sigh, burrowing deeper into Darry before startin' to speak, my voice muffled.

"He was making some rude comments but Tim Shepard stepped in and made him stop and leave. Even if Tim hadn't been there I would have handled him!" I say and Dally starts coughing, sounding like he's hackin' up a lung. Two-Bit starts thumpin' him on the back and Dally is finally able to speak. I realize he had been taking a drag of his cigarette when I explained about Gus.

"Well, this is somethin' I never thought I'd see happen!" Dally says in a hoarse voice, laughing before lighting up another cigarette with a smirk on his face.

"Dal, what in the hell are you talkin' 'bout" Two-Bit asks after he takes another swig of the beer in his hand and Dally's smirk gets even bigger as he chuckles.

"There's only one reason Shepard would step up to defend a lady, and that's 'cause he likes her," he says with a smirk and I turn beet red, slippin' off Darry's lap and walkin' to my room ignoring the laughs and whistles comin' from behind me. I change into my pajamas before collapsin' on my bed next to Lucky who wakes up from her nap and moves to sleepin' on my stomach. I click off my bedside lamp and slowly drift off to sleep to the sounds of the gang laughin' and Lucky purring.

_**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**_

"C'mon Rosebud it's time to get up! You didn't eat dinner last night so you need some food in you!" Darry yells, his voice shattering the dream I was havin' about kittens and this beautiful meadow. I roll over onto my back, starin' up at the ceiling for a few minutes before rolling out of bed and landin' on my feet awkwardly. I grab my purple fuzzy robe off the back of my door and stumble down the hallway and into the bathroom, half awake. After scrubbing my hair and body down with my rose scented stuff I wrap myself up in the robe and walk back to my room. I decide on some tight jean capri pants with a few holes and rips in them along with a coral colored shirt with white lace detail around the collar. I shrug on a white button-up sweater before goin' to sit at my white vanity covered in a bunch of pictures of the gang and my mom and dad. I put on some eyeliner and mascara before braiding my hair down my back quickly. I slip on some clean white socks before runnin' into the kitchen with a smile on my face. I jump onto Soda's back and he stumbles from where he was standin' by the kitchen counter.

"Mornin' sleepin' beauty!" Soda says and I give him a kiss on the cheek before slidin' off his back and walkin' out the archway to sit at the table where Darry was glaring at me.

"Lilyrose the next time you skip out on dinner I'll tan your hide! You understand?" Darry says, foldin' open the newspaper but still glarin' at me over the top of it. I roll me eyes and plop down in a chair next to Ponyboy who gives me a small smile and mumbled 'good morning'.

"Alright Darry, I'm sorry it won't happen again," I say and scoop some eggs onto my plate. After we all eat breakfast Dally, who had shown up halfway through, and I decided to head down to the lot to see what was goin' on. Ponyboy and Johnny end up taggin' along but I don't mind, the more the merrier! We talk about random stuff and I scold Ponyboy for smokin' so much until we get to the lot. What I see doesn't really surprise me but I still tense up. The Shepard gang, along with some other greasers, is facing a group of Socs. I slide my hand into the front pocket of Dally's leather jacket and take out Ponyboy's blade I put in there for safekeeping, slippin' it to Ponyboy quietly just in case things got too rough.

"Ponyboy, Johnny, why don't you guys take Rosie to see that new movie at the theatre you were talkin' about," Dally says, smirking at us and I smile at him while I nod. The three of us turn around to leave but a few Socs appear right behind us, blockin' us in.

"How come whenever I leave the house somethin' bad like this always happens?" I ask quietly and Dally laughs, sauntering up behind me.

"Come on boys, why don't we let the lady go? Make it more fun for all of us!" Dally says loudly and the Socs glare at him.

"I think she should stay, we could make this a big party! What do you say boys?" one of the Socs yells out, laughin' obnoxiously and his friends join him. Soon enough, we're standing with our fellow greasers as the brawl begins. I duck down, tryin' to avoid flying fists and crawl towards the open area around the fight. I lean against the trunk of a tree, waitin' for the fight to be over and watching for Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy amongst the chaos. Suddenly one of the greasers is shoved out of the circle and I recognize that it's Tim. A Soc comes bargin' out of the circle after him, and I wince when he lands a solid punch to Tim's jaw. After a few more hits from the Soc, Tim is closer to me and one last punch sends him into me knockin' us both down. I'm on my back as Tim holds himself above me, looking at me with cold eyes but they soften when I flinch. I see the Soc appear above Tim and I squeeze my eyes shut, hearin' the guy kick Tim in the stomach. I feel Tim collapse on top of me and open my eyes to see he's been knocked unconscious from a blow to his head. I lock my arms around him in a hug and start rollin' us away from the Soc. I can only roll us a few feet because Tim is pretty heavy but the Soc has started to retreat along with his friends. I hear a groan and look next to me to Tim blinkin' his eyes slowly before lookin' over at me. He heaves himself up quickly, offering me a hand without a word and pullin' me to my feet in one swift move like I weighed no more than a feather.

"You okay? You took a pretty nasty hit to the head," I ask, stoppin' him before he walked away. I don't know what made me ask him but I guess I just wanted to know. He looks at me for a few seconds before answering.

"I'm fine. You should clean that cut below your eye, it looks dirty. You don't want it to get infected," he says before walkin' toward his gang. He spoke with no emotion on his face and only moved to point at the cut on my face. I am SO confused. Why would he care about my cut? How could he just get up and walk away after the beatin' he took? I guess that shows why Dally considers him a friend, he's pretty damn tuff. A little while later and we're headed back home, the three guys only havin' a few cuts and bruises.

"I'm proud of you Johnnycakes! You didn't even hesitate to get into that fight, I think you're finally getting back to your old self!" I say, loopin' my arm through Johnny's and givin' him a kiss on the cheek. His face turns red but I can see him smile a little.

"Th-Thanks, Lilyrose. Guess I just felt like I had to," Johnny says quietly, almost whispering and I smile at him. We relay the happenings of the day to everyone back at home before I start collectin' laundry from my room.

"If you guys want your laundry done come bring it to the washroom!" I yell through the house and start loadin' the washer, adding some of Soda's dirty laundry to mine when he appears with a full laundry basket. Pony and Darry follow soon after, each givin' me a kiss on the cheek as I start folding the clothes I had left in the dryer a couple of days ago. Soon I have the dryer empty and a few stacks of fresh, folded clothes sitting on the old wooden table in the corner of the washroom. I switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer and start another load before headin' out to the living room. I can smell chicken cooking and assume Darry is making dinner for tonight. Halfway through an old episode of Mickey Mouse complete with Two-Bit commentary the doorbell rings, and I know it's not one the guys from our gang because they always just barge right in. I get up to get the door but Steve is already there swingin' the door open and eating a piece of chocolate cake, his teeth caked in the stuff. He grins at whoever it is and invites them inside, callin' for Darry to come to the door. Lo and behold, Tim Shepard steps through the door with a few guys from his gang followin' behind him. His eyes scan the room, ending on me and we just stare at each other. Flashes of him lyin' over me earlier today flash through my mind makin' me want to shrink into the couch in embarrassment. Could this day get any more awkward?

**Okay guys, I feel okay about this chapter although I know it's shorter than the previous chapter. If you see any grammar mistakes or there are things that don't make since just let me know so I can fix them! Please review, I'd love to know if I'm on the right track or if I should try and redo any parts!**

** LilCrafty6 :D**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up but we're in the middle of moving so it's a little crazy at my house. I'll try and keep updating frequently but once we get fully moved into the new place the updates will be REALLY frequent! Once again thank you sooooo much to **_my oh mighty_**, **_clarissa_**, and **_Yehhhok_** for their AMAZING reviews which continue to inspire me and make me smile! And **_Yehhhok _**no review can be too long, I love the detail you put in it really helps me shape the future chapters in just the right way! Love you guys, and here's the next chapter!**

"Tim, how you been buddy?" I hear Darry ask with a smile on his face as he comes out of the kitchen dryin' his hands on a towel. Tim shakes Darry's hand before he and his gang get situated around the living room for what appears to be a long talk.

"I'll finish dinner, Dar," I say before hurryin' into the kitchen, eager to get away from Tim who keeps glancin' at me. I lean against the counter once I'm safely out of sight and let my head bang lightly against the cupboard.

"So stupid! Pull yourself together," I mumble to myself quietly before straightening up and openin' the oven quickly to check on the chicken casserole. When I see it's cookin' perfectly I start taking out ingredients to make the ever popular chocolate cake the boys like to eat for breakfast. I've just finished mixin' all the liquid ingredients together when a creak in the floor lets me know someone just walked into the kitchen. I turn around to see who it is and freeze when I see Tim Shepard is leanin' against the fridge, one arm above his head supporting his body. I smile at him before turnin' back around to my cake batter, expectin' him to grab a couple beers and leave. I jump a little when I hear his voice comin' from directly behind me.

"Thought I told you to clean that cut on your face, it's gonna get infected," he says starin' at me blankly and my hand automatically reaches up to feel the open cut below my eye.

"I guess I forgot," I whisper and he walks over to the sink, turning on the tap and wetting a small hand towel that had been sittin' nearby before comin' back over to me. He walks so close I take a step backwards, bumpin' into the counter but he blocks me in. He stops so close to me I can feel his breath on my face. He starts rubbin' at the cut on my face, his rough and calloused hands moving more gently than I thought he was capable of. After wipin' the cut clean, he runs his thumb over it once before throwin' the wet towel into the sink and grabbin' a few beers from the fridge, makin' his way back out into the living room. When Steve walks into the kitchen a couple minutes later I'm still frozen in the same spot but the only thing he notices is the chocolate cake I'd started to make.

"Chocolate cake!" he yells and his volume snaps me out of my frozen state. I walk over and thwack him on the head when he goes to mess with the bowl.

"Don't touch anything, you can have some when it's done," I say and shoo him out of the kitchen with my hands. I finish mixin' up the batter and am ready to put it in when the timer for the chicken casserole goes off. I carefully take the hot food out of the oven, puttin' the cake in then headin' out into the living room. My face falls a little bit when I notice the Shepard gang has left, and I feel like rollin' my eyes when I wonder why Tim didn't say goodbye to me. I barely know him, and I don't even know what that whole thing in the kitchen was about, so why would he feel the need to say goodbye?

"Food's done, Darry," I say before fallin' onto Soda's lap on the couch. Dally leans away from my feet when they appear in his face on the other side of the couch and I laugh.

"Get your stinky ass feet away from me," Dally grunts out and I curl up onto Soda's lap more, smilin'.

"Fine! Soda doesn't think my feet are stinky, do you Sodiepop?" I ask Soda with a big cheesy smile on my face and he grins back.

"I think your feet are adorable, little Rose!" Soda says loudly and Ponyboy laughs at us.

"Oh hey, did you finish that book you were tellin' me about?" I ask Pony, switchin' moods quickly from fun to serious.

"Not yet, I'm still a couple chapters from the end. I think you'll wanna read it though, it's pretty good," Pony says and I nod, getting' off Soda and makin' my way to my room. I give Lucky a kiss on the head before fallin' onto the bed next to her, makin' her meow in protest at the bouncing. I softly pet her head for a few minutes, just starin' at the ceiling.

"Dinner!" I hear Darry yell from the kitchen and I hear several sets of footsteps run from the living room to the kitchen where Darry was servin' up dinner so everyone got enough to eat and no one pigged out. I give Lucky another kiss before makin' my way to the kitchen, pickin' up Soda's shoes that he had thrown down the hallway toward his room earlier in the day and place them by the door before entering the chaos that is the kitchen.

"Come on, man! I'm a growin' boy, I need more than that!" I hear Two-Bit complain and I sigh, thumpin' him on the back of the head as I walk by, earning myself a glare from him. Darry hands me a plate and I smile at him before findin' a place at the table to eat in peace. I manage to dodge all flying food throughout dinner and make it out the same way I went in. Clean. I wash the dishes sittin' in the sink and let Ponyboy take over when he comes in, the next to finish his food. I fall down onto the couch in the living room, closing my eyes and drifting until I hear Darry call my name.

"Rosebud, we need to talk," he says and I sit up, givin' Soda and Steve room to sit on the couch.

"What is it? Is this about why Tim was here earlier?" I ask, lookin' around at the guys. Dally raises an eyebrow at me when I don't call Tim by his last name like everyone usually does. I really need to pay attention to what I'm sayin', or just shut my trap.

"The Socs wanna rumble tomorrow night in the lot, but it's no weapons only skin on skin," Darry says and I slump back into the couch, sighin' heavily.

"And just like every other time there's a rumble I'm not gonna be able to talk you out of it, am I?" I ask as I glare at the ceiling and I hear Darry sigh, readjustin' in the armchair.

"Rosebud, you know we can take care of ourselves. We've been fightin' in rumbles since we turned thirteen," Darry says and I roll my eyes, jumpin' up from the couch.

"Yeah, and it only takes one stupid Soc that decides to pull a blade to tear apart this family!" I say before stormin' off to my room, ignoring Soda's calls for me to come back. I slam my bedroom door shut and fall onto my bed face first. Lucky soon comes over, purring loudly, and rubs up against my side and arms makin' me smile.

"You always know how to cheer me up, Lucky," I say before huggin' her and scratchin' behind her ears. As I lay in bed a half hour later, dressed in my pajamas and curled up with Lucky on my stomach sound asleep already, I feel the cold chill of fear start to creep into my mind. So many things could go wrong in a rumble, and no one would notice because it's pure chaos until it ends. I always get upset when the boys head off to a rumble, but I'm always patchin' them up when they get back. I think the most stupid thing Darry does in his life is fightin' in rumbles, I mean what would Soda, Pony, and I do if he got arrested or even killed? I guess that's a little selfish, isn't it? As I slowly drift off to sleep nightmares of all that could go wrong during the rumble flash through my mind, making me extremely tired when I get up the next morning. Just like all the other days before a rumble I completely ignore the guys and grab my own bowl of cereal for breakfast, takin' it back to my room so I can read some more while I eat. My cereal is gone within ten minutes and I'm just reachin' the end of a chapter in my book when Soda pops his head into my room. Once he sees I'm sittin' on my bed he slips in and shuts the door behind him. I watch him sit down across from me on the bed and stare at me until I sigh and slap my book shut, settin' it on my nightstand.

"What?" I snap, glarin' at him and he sighs, itchin' the back of his neck.

"Rosebud, I understand. I really do, you think if somethin' bad happens you, Pony, and me will get shipped off to some girls and boys home. But you hafta understand, we've been doin' this for years. Don't you trust us?" Soda asks, lookin' me right in the eyes and my glare starts to fade as my eyes sting with unshed tears.

"Of course I trust you guys, it's those stupid Socs I don't trust!" I say, wipin' at my eyes quickly and sniffling. He smiles softly and pulls me into a hug, kissin' the top of my head as I slowly breathe in the scent of gasoline, cologne, and grease. Soda. He pulls back soon, holdin' my head between his two hands and lookin' very serious.

"We will always come back to you, Lilyrose. The whole gang, because we know how much it would hurt you if we didn't," Soda says and gives me one last kiss on the forehead before slippin' back out of my room. I wipe at my eyes and nose again, getting' up to get a tissue so I can look somewhat presentable for the day. I slip on a pair of blue skinny jeans and a plain purple t-shirt with a brown sweater over top before headin' out to the living room. I grab some money out of the jar in the kitchen on top of the fridge before headin' for the front door and slippin' on my white Keds.

"Hey Two-Bit, tell Darry I went to get some stuff for dinner okay?" I ask and he nods, liftin' up his beer in acknowledgement but keepin' his eyes glued to the TV where Mickey Mouse was on. I walk out into the bright sunshine from the darkness of the house, hearin' the door slam shut behind me and head out the front gate and onto the sidewalk. I walk the five minutes to the grocery store without runnin' into trouble and go in, wipin' at my sweaty forehead as the cool air hits me. I grab a basket, starting in the produce section and pickin' up some apples so I can make a fresh apple pie then movin' on to get all the ingredients for chicken and rice with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. Soon I'm headed back home with three big paper bags of groceries.

"Should have made Two-Bit come with me!" I grumble under my breath and tense up when I hear the engine of a finely tuned car come up behind me.

"Need a ride, Curtis?" I hear someone ask and I turn toward the road prepared to say no because it isn't exactly safe to take rides from random people you don't really know. My answer freezes on my suddenly dry lips when I see Tim Shepard is drivin' the car. It's a blue and white Firebird, sparkling clean, and Tim has one hand on the wheel while the other is stretched out across the back of the seat. I bite my lip and glance around before lookin' down at the heavy bags that were already fallin' apart before steppin' off the curb and toward Tim's car. He reaches over and pops open the passenger door before reachin' out to take two of the grocery bags. He sets them on the floor of the car and waits until I'm seated and have shut the door before startin' off down the road toward my house.

"Thanks for stopping and getting me," I say politely but I can feel my palms starting to sweat.

"Yea. Know about the rumble?" he asks, dismissin' my thanks quickly and I see him glance at me from the corner of his eye.

"Unfortunately," I say with a sigh and he smirks at me, turnin' his head to look at me more.

"Scared?" he asks, a bit of taunting in his voice and my eyes narrow.

"Yea well Darry, Soda, and Pony are all I've got left along with the rest of the gang. At least you still have your mom," I say, a little bit of venom in my voice and his smirk disappears.

"They'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on the small one," he says gruffly after about thirty seconds and a small smile creeps onto my face before I can stop it. It's so cute how he tries not to care but he can't help it so he tries to put it off as a tough guy thing. Yea, he's a real tuff hood.

"If your gang needs a place to rest for a while after the rumble feel free to come on over," I say quietly, keeping my gaze trained on the houses passing slowly outside the window of the car. I see him nod out of the corner of my eye and we come to a stop in front of my house. I can feel the air gettin' awkward so I pop open the door and get out, turnin' back around to get the bags only to find Tim standin' next to me with them in his hands. I blink stupidly for a few seconds as he stares at me before leadin' him up to the porch.

"I have to get the gang ready for the rumble," Tim says once he sets the bags down on the porch before he turns and goes back to his car and takes off. I stand there for a little while before shakin' my head to clear it and gatherin' up a bag to take into the kitchen. I'm still really confused about Tim's rapidly changing behavior but snap out of my thinkin' when Darry calls my name.

"Did I hear a car out front?" he asks, lookin' up from his newspaper. It seems like he's always readin' one, but it's never the same one!

"Yea, um Tim Shepard gave me a ride home because I had a few bags," I said, continuing into the kitchen. I hear Darry tell Two-Bit to get the other bags off the porch before he appears in the kitchen doorway. He's leanin' on it with his left leg across his right and his eyes are studying my body language.

"What all did he say?" Darry asks after a little while and I roll my eyes.

"We just talked about the rumble tonight, that's all," I say adamantly and level him with a serious gaze. He stares at me for a little while longer but ultimately decides to drop it because he disappears back into the living room. Two-Bit comes walkin' into the kitchen with the other two grocery bags and I hand him another beer from the fridge. He grabs it happily, takin' a big swig before skippin' back out into the living room. Yes, he actually skipped. By now it's about noon so I make myself a quick sandwich and scarf it down before startin' on dinner. I make the pie first, settin' it on the windowsill to cool while I start the chicken and rice. About five hours later all the food is either done or cooking and I head out to the living room to take a break. We all watch Mickey Mouse and joke around in peace for about a half hour before Dally has to open his big trap and ruin it.

"What's all this gossip I hear about Shepard stopping to pick up some girl on her way home from the store and givin' her a ride?" Dally asks with a smirk over the beer he's sippin' on. All eyes except Darry's go directly to me and I rub my forehead, feelin' a headache comin' on already.

"Lilyrose Tulip Curtis why in the blue hell would you get in a car with Tim Shepard?" Soda asks, and Darry looks at him sharply for sayin' a curse word, and in front of Pony and I no less.

"That was stupid, Lily! Keep doin' stuff like that and you'll end up like ol' Two-Bit here, stupid and alone!" Steve says and Two-Bit glares and flips him off. Two-Bit and Kathy broke up AGAIN and this time he really thinks it's for good.

"Guys, Tim may be a hood to the Socs but he's still a nice guy," I say and I roll my eyes when Ponyboy's mouth falls open at my statement.

"Lily, Tim is a no good hood to everybody!" Pony says and I glare at him.

"Wasn't it you who told me the other day not to judge a book by its cover? Huh?" I ask.

"Yea, but-" he says but I cut him off and address all the guys.

"You guys don't know him, and I think if you talked to him more you'd see he isn't that bad of a guy! Don't be so hypocritical! Soda flirts with girls all the time but he doesn't sleep around! Darry yells a lot and is always glaring but he's a big softie!" I say before stormin' off to the kitchen. I hear the guys whisperin' to each other as I stand in the kitchen and wait for the chicken to finish its last two minutes of cooking. Soon I'm startin' to worry so much that I begin to bite my nails, a nervous habit I'd developed when I was ten. What are they going to think about me defendin' Tim like that? My life will be over if they realize I've got a crush on him! I seriously hope they don't confront Tim about any of this, especially about why I would be defendin' him. I just can't seem to stop diggin' an even deeper hole for myself. I take the chicken and rice out and set the table as I continue to bite my nails and strain to hear what the guys are whisperin' about. Soon we're all settled at the table diggin' into dinner, the whole Tim Shepard thing seemingly behind us. Steve and Soda are assigned to clean up the dishes once we're done eatin' after they started throwin' green beans at each other and wouldn't stop when Darry told them to. I swear, they are five year olds stuck in the bodies of teenage boys! As the guys arm wrestle and get pumped up for the rumble I start more laundry and watch Two-Bit and Steve wrestle on the floor in the living room, warnin' them not to knock anything over or I'll skin them alive. Soon Darry is doin' his pushups and puttin' on his t-shirt, folding up the sleeves so his muscles are on display. He gives me a kiss on the cheek and whistles at the guys before they all burst out the front door, lettin' it slam behind them. I watch them until they disappear from sight before continuing to fold the laundry and watch some mystery movie on TV. Before I know it, it's been an hour and the boys are stumblin' into the house, some bleedin' and some nursin' new bruises. I see Shepard's gang stumble in after my boys and pull in chairs from the dining room for them to sit on. I get the first aid kit out from under the bathroom sink and hear the door close when I start to stand up. I whirl around and come face to face with Tim who's standin' so close our foreheads are touchin'. My heart starts beatin' like a conga drum and the palms of my hands become pools of sweat. He has sweat fallin' down his face and soaking his tight black t-shirt from the rumble. His blue jeans are covered with dirt as are his black boots. His hair has lost some of its grease so a few pieces are fallin' onto his forehead. He has a cut above his right eyebrow by his hairline that's bleedin' and the left side of his jaw is turnin' an ugly purple color but all I notice are his brown eyes starin' into mine. His expression is unreadable so my breath hitches when he tilts his head and lowers his head towards mine. My breathing speeds up and I just about choke when he lands a kiss right on the tip of my nose. His lips linger there for a minute before he leans his head back and brings his hand up, brushin' some of my hair behind my ear. I manage to pry open my eyes from when they had fallen shut as Tim pecked my nose. We stare at each other for about thirty seconds before he abruptly turns and opens the door, walkin' out toward the living room where everyone was. I stand against the bathroom counter, the first aid kit clutched to my chest with both hands, and stare off into space. Why is life so damn complicated?

**Ok guys, what did you think? I felt like I needed to progress their relationship a little more but I didn't want to go straight to the big first kiss. I feel like Tim is a man who has a hard time accepting his own feelings, so I'm trying to show the struggle he is having in his mind. I would love it if you guys would review, and I will really try working on the next chapter a lot so I can get it up in the next couple days! **

**LilCrafty6 :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry, I've still been super busy but I tried to make this a nice long chapter for you all! Thank you to **_Timshepard, bookluvr217, kat, kayla, , Yehhhok, GreaserGirl, Rockerchick09, my oh mighty,__clarissa_**, and **_anon_**for their reviews! It was mentioned in one of the reviews of me replacing a lot of my g's with apostrophes and I just wanted to clear up why I do that I tend to not use the letter g that often because it helps me get into Lilyrose's character better and I feel more immersed in the South where there behaviors are different than how we act up here in Iowa Thank you for reminding me to explain that to you, and if it really is too annoying that you don't want to read anymore just let me know and I would be more than willing to stop! I love long reviews so everyone keep 'em coming! Also, I'd like to send out a thanks to all those who have added my story to their favorite stories list, story alert list, and added me to their favorite authors list! It makes me feel so proud of my work and really inspires me to keep going, so please enjoy the next chapter! **

Steve lost another tooth. At his rate he's going to be toothless before he turns twenty!

"How many times have I told you to protect your face more, Steve?" I ask sternly, glaring at him as I place a damp wash cloth over the empty spot in his mouth. He reaches up to hold it there while he rolls his eyes and I sigh. I'd been back in the living room for about ten minutes now and not once has Tim taken his eyes off me as I move around the room tending to all the boys. My mouth can't seem to stay moist and I'm constantly swallowing nervously, not daring to let my eyes move toward him. I'd stayed in the bathroom for a couple minutes to gather my composure before comin' back out with the first aid kit.

"Does anybody need stitches?" I ask loudly and they all check over their injuries slowly before saying no one by one.

"I need a band-aid, Rosebud. Man, that guy had sharp little teeth!" Darry says before grimacing down at his hand that has multiple small puncture wounds. I fish out a few plain band-aids and kneel down by Darry's chair to put them on. Unfortunately, Tim had chosen to sit in the dining room chair I had put right next to the arm chair Darry was currently slouched in. As I carefully wrapped up Darry's hand I couldn't help but glance up quickly at Tim, returning my eyes to my current job immediately when my gaze meets his. Determination. It was glinting in Tim's eyes so strongly; it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I wonder what he was so determined about, and why he's been staring at me. I mean, yea he kissed me on the nose but maybe it was just a brotherly thing.

"Why dontcha head on off to bed, Rosebud. Shepard and his gang are gonna stay the night here so don't worry about cleanin' anything up right now," Soda says looking at me with a smile and I nod, gathering up the first aid kit supplies and setting them on the kitchen counter just in case they needed it again. I chance one last look back at Tim right before I turn down the hallway and he gives me a soft, fleeting smile. I walk into my room in a daze, wondering why the baddest hood in Tulsa, Tim Shepard, would smile at me. I put on short, brown cotton shorts and a white tank top while in a zombie-like state and crawl under my fluffy blue comforter. Lucky jumps down from my open window and curls up down by my feet, falling asleep almost instantly while I lay there awake for a half hour. Finally I drift off into an uneasy sleep, Tim Shepard's brown eyes burned into my mind.

The sound of glass shattering and tires squealing make me jerk awake from my dreamless sleep. My messy hair falls around my shoulders in a curtain as I sit up quickly and throw my covers off before flinging open my bedroom door and runnin' down the hall and into the living room, bare feet slapping against the old wood floors. As I enter the living room two hands shoot out and jerk me to a stop, pulling me back into a hard chest when I stumble and start to fall. I see one of the front windows has been shattered and when I see a brick lying on the floor among all the glass shards I sigh and slump in against whoever is holding me. I see Darry cross over toward the brick and go to follow him when the arms tighten around my stomach, keeping me in place firmly.

"You don't have any shoes on, you'll cut your feet up," I hear a voice say quietly into my ear and I can't help the shiver that runs through my body. Tim Shepard is standin' directly behind me, stopping me from getting glass in my feet by holding me against him. I never thought I would be the type of girl to swoon at guys for being all macho, but I can feel my heart fluttering in my chest over his obvious concern. Ugh.

"Damn Socs! Don't they know how expensive it is to replace a window?" I hear Darry say angrily before pickin' the brick up off the floor and turning around.

"Don't come in here unless you have shoes, at least until we get this mess cleaned up," Darry says to the small crowd standing around the edges of the living room, but he stares at me meaningfully. Soda appears from the kitchen with a trash bag and some of the guys start picking up the big pieces of glass so they can vacuum up the small pieces. Tim's grip doesn't loosen and I find that I don't really mind, in fact I'm fairly relaxed in his arms as I watch the glass being cleaned up with sad eyes. Why do they do that? Do they really think they can just come into our neighborhood and vandalize our homes? I already know this means another rumble and I get even more depressed, thinking of how beat up everyone already is. I shrug out of Tim's hold and head back toward my room, head hung low, with tears already building in my eyes. I don't bother to shut my door when I make it to my room instead I just sit on the edge of my bed, wipin' away the tears that have started falling and look out the window at the bright stars and large, round moon.

"They won't have the chance to do this again. I promise you that," I hear Tim say and I look over to see him standing in my doorway, arms crossed over his chest. I laugh sarcastically and he comes fully into my room, sitting down next to me and sighing heavily.

"Promises are useless, and nothing can stop the Socs from being so damn stupid," I say with a bitter voice, wipin' away another round of tears that have come pouring out. I felt stupid, sitting here and crying in front of Tim while I poured out all my feelings.

"I'll make you believe again. Promises can be kept, you just wait and see Rosie," Tim says and I lift my head up at the use of that particular nickname. I open my mouth to yell at him for calling me that but my voice freezes in my throat when he pulls me into a hug. It isn't just any hug, either, its bone crushing and it takes me a little while to wrap my arms around him. I let my head fall onto his shoulder and I cry silently, my body trembling slightly as he runs his hand up and down my back. If someone walked past my room right now, they would probably think Tim was high or drunk off his ass! He never acts like he has a heart, and he NEVER hugs people.

I push all the worries of what my brothers would do if they saw this to the back of my mind and let my body relax in his arms. Soon I start drifting off to sleep and he moves, sliding me under the covers of my bed and kissing the tip of my nose again. I have just enough energy to give a little smile before I finally drop off into oblivion.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

It's now Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting outside the Dingo with Two-Bit, eating a cheeseburger for lunch while greasers hang around smoking, drinking, or fighting. Two-Bit gets our trash once we're done and heads inside to throw it away and 'take a piss' as he so charmingly put it. I'm leaning against the window of the Dingo when a short guy, obviously a greaser, walks up to me. He's probably about an inch or so taller than me with long black hair, greased back of course, and bright blue eyes. His nose is huge and I bite my lip when he smiles at me and it crinkles up to reveal yellow, crooked teeth. I casually look around for Two-Bit so he can play my fake boyfriend as we usually do when I have to thwart off the advances of nasty greasers. He's nowhere in sight and I want to sigh, not in the mood to be harassed by a pervert.

"Name's Luke Duran, just wanted to introduce myself. I moved here about a week ago from Texas," he says and I'm surprised by how smooth and not squeaky it was. I give him a small smile, hoping he doesn't start acting like a pervert because he's starting to seem okay.

"Hi, I'm Lilyrose Curtis. Welcome to Tulsa! How are you liking it so far?" I ask him, turning my body more to face him and I actually give him a genuine smile this time.

"Interesting name, I like it. It's kinda borin' here but I'll live," he says, making me laugh. We keep talking about random stuff like our favorite colors, movies, and surprisingly books. I glance around after a little while and see Two-Bit appear within the Dingo. I panic a little, knowing Two-Bit would come out here and scare the guy off. Luke is actually pretty charming and I guess he's not _that _bad looking! Besides, he's one of the only guys who isn't a total pervert that's ever really shown interest in me. Well, besides Tim, but I am still majorly confused in that area so I'm forcing myself to forget him.

"Well, my friend is coming so I better go," I say quickly and he frowns a little bit before smiling again. As I start to walk away he puts his hand on my arm and I look back at him, confused.

"Do you wanna go see a movie at the Nightly Double tonight?" he asks and my heart starts to beat fast as I get nervous. Honestly, I've never been asked out on a date. I decide to say yes because Luke doesn't seem like that bad a guy, and it's not like he's asking me to be his girl or anything.

"Sure, that sounds like fun! Do you just wanna meet there?" I ask, hesitant to let him meet the gang because I know they would just try and scare him off. His grin gets bigger and he lets go of my arm, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaning against the window casually.

"Alright, meet at the fence at seven?" he asks and I nod, smiling at him before walking around to the door of the Dingo to meet Two-Bit who had stopped to talk to a fellow greaser. When he comes out we start down the sidewalk toward home, him slinging his arm around my shoulders casually after a couple minutes.

"So, what do ya wanna do tonight? I'm thinkin' 'bout getting a six pack and downin' it, but I can do that just 'bout anywhere!" Two-Bit exclaims and I chuckle, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jean shorts I had thrown on that morning along with a red tank top and white sweater I left unbuttoned. I stare down at my scuffed up black converse as they steadily move across the cracked and dirty sidewalk.

"I actually already have plans, but I'm sure Pony, Johnny, and Dally are doin' somethin'. You could hang with them," I say, smiling fakely. My expression drops into one of nervousness when I see him lookin' at me with a raised eyebrow. I just smile at him and he steps in front of me, stopping our forward walk.

"What the hell kind of plans do you have? When I asked you this mornin' you said you weren't busy," he asks with a pout that makes me roll my eyes.

"I'm goin' to the Nightly Double tonight, and I swear if I see any of you guys there I will skin you alive!" I threaten and he furrows his brows. We've made it home by now and I jog up the stairs and into the house, letting the screen door slam behind me. I smile at Johnny who's sitting on the couch and plop down next to him.

"Hey Lily," he says quietly with a small smile and I give him a big grin back.

"Hey Johnnycakes, watcha doin'? Where's Ponyboy at?" I ask and he nods off in the general direction of Ponyboy's room.

"Just waitin' for Pony to get his jacket so we can head off to the movies," he says and I nod, getting up and heading off into the kitchen where Two-Bit had disappeared into a few seconds ago. As I walk in I see Dally leanin' against the fridge with a beer in his hand and Two-Bit and Steve standing next to each other in front of the kitchen sink.

"I heard you got a date tonight, Rosie," Dallas asks over the rim of his beer bottle, a smirk on his face and I roll my eyes at him. I lean against the doorway of the kitchen and choose to ignore him, turning my gaze to Steve and Two-Bit who are both looking at me with glares.

"Well Lilyrose, I'm not sure tonight is the best idea," Steve says and I roll my eyes with a sigh. I knew this fight was comin' sooner or later I just expected the entire gang to do it at once not in small groups.

"Steve, I'm a big girl and can take care of myself," I say and he sighs, walkin' over to grab a beer out of the fridge. I watch as he pops the cap off with the bottle opener lying on the stove and takes a big swig.

"Do you even know the grease? What the hell's his name?" he asks next, startin' to get frustrated.

"His name is Luke Duran and he just moved here from Texas. We talked for a little while today and it's not like he asked me to be his girl or anything," I say with a shrug of my shoulders and Dally lets out a loud, short laugh.

"Wow Rosie, wait 'till Tim hears about this," he says and I glare at him, starting to feel defensive.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't even know Tim, so just shut up," I huff out and storm off to my room, the boys stayin' silent. Probably 'cause of the swear word, I usually don't let them loose like that but I was just agitated. As I slam the door to my room shut I toe off my converse, falling face first onto my bed and sighing. I spend the next couple hours reading my book and absentmindedly petting Lucky, keepin' an eye on the clock. When it reaches 5:30 I slap my book shut and jump outta bed, headin' toward the bathroom for a shower. I hear the entire gang in the living room as I close the bathroom door and turn the shower on.

A half hour later I'm sneakin' back to my room in a towel, thinkin' about what I'm gonna wear. As I shimmy into some underwear and a bra I pull the red skirt with blue polka dots outta my closet along with my matching blue tank top. I pull them on, the skirt fallin' to about an inch and a half above my knee. I decide on the same white sweater I was wearing earlier and some white canvas shoes. I sit down in front of my old beat up vanity and pin my bangs back, leaving the rest of my hair to fall in waves over my shoulders. I swipe on some foundation, blush, cream eye shadow, and clear gloss for my lips. I glance over at the clock and notice its 6:45 so I jump up and head out to the living room. Darry looks up from the newspaper he's reading in his chair and glares at me.

"I don't like this. I've never met the kid so I don't trust him. I shouldn't even let you go but I will if you're back by 9, understand?" he asks in a deep voice and I smile brightly at him, bouncing over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Darry! I promise I'll be home by 9," I say happily and Two-Bit stands up, glaring at me as well.

"I'm drivin' you, and pickin' you up," he says before walkin' out the door. I roll my eyes and run after him, wavin' to the rest of the gang and raisin' an eyebrow at Dally's smirk. I climb into the passenger seat of Two-Bit's death trap and watch the houses go by as we start towards the Nightly Double.

"Thanks for drivin' me, Two-Bit," I say as I climb out of the car a few minutes later. He sighs and leans across the passenger seat to look at me. I feel startled as I take in how serious his face is and lean through the open window to hear what he has to say.

"If he doesn't behave himself, you find someone and call us. Don't do anythin' stupid. I'll be here a little before 9, so I will come lookin' for you if you don't show up, understand?" he asks, soundin' like Darry and I nod, givin' him a smile. I walk over and lean against the fence to wait for Luke, waving as Two-Bit pulls away back toward home. I only wait for about five minutes until Luke shows up, dressed exactly as before makin' me sigh. Would it have killed him to put in a little bit of effort? We actually pay to get in, surprising me, and find good seats. We keep talkin' about random stuff, even when the movie starts. It's some stupid beach movie and we decide to ditch and go get some food somewhere, but I let him know that I have to be back here before 9.

We head outta the Nightly Double and start toward the Dingo, enjoying the five minute walk. Sittin' down and eatin' our food I ask him about his life before Tulsa, only receiving vague answers that make me frown. He's being really mysterious, and I know some girls like that kind of thing but it honestly just annoys me. I glance at the clock in the Diner and see it's 8:45 so we head out, leaving our money on the table. I had to pay for my own food, another thing that irked me. I mean, isn't the guy supposed to be all chivalrous and doting? This is my first real date but I guess I just expected somethin' different. Somethin' more romantic, but I'll take what I can get I guess. We're about halfway back to the Nightly Double, holdin' hands and not really talkin', when Luke suddenly pulls me into a dark alleyway. I feel my back hit the brick wall and wince a little bit. He smiles at me and starts talkin' quietly.

"I really like you, Lilyrose, will you be my girl?" he asks in a breathy voice and my brows furrow. This is our first date, and I honestly hadn't really felt a connection at all. I wanted that spark, the one I felt with Tim. Ugh. Can't believe I actually brought him up after not havin' him on my mind the whole night.

"Luke, you're so nice but I just don't feel a connection. This is my first real date, and even if I did feel a connection I wouldn't want to be your girl. It's too fast," I say, biting my lip and he glares at me before I feel his lips smash against mine. I wince again when I feel his teeth bang against mine. I feel a sting on my bottom lip and realize he's made my lip split open. I grab his shoulders and push but he's taller and stronger than me. My head flashes back to when I turned 13 and Dally told me that the best way to stop a grabby guy was to hit him where it hurts. I bring my knee up clumsily but manage to hit him in the right spot, right between the legs. He back up immediately, groanin' a little and cupping himself. I glare at him, adjustin' my sweater because it was fallin' off my shoulder and stompin' out of the alleyway. He doesn't follow me and I feel myself sigh in relief.

I feel the anger bubblin' up inside me. Did he really think he could just force a kiss on my and I would change my mind? What an asshole! I reach the outside of the Nightly Double and stomp up to the curb, slumpin' down. I don't notice the group of Greasers leanin' against the fence, smokin' and laughin'. I bring my hand up to my stingin' lip and touch it gently, wincing. I look at my fingers and grimace at the blood on them. The gang is gonna have a field day with this. I hear the scuffin' of boots and whirl around, thinkin' it's Luke again but stop in surprise when I see Tim starin' at me. His eyes instantly zero in on my lip and scratch my head nervously, knowin' I don't exactly look very attractive right now. His hand moves up to remove the cigarette danglin' in his mouth and he drops it, stepping on it as he moves to right in front of me. The same hand comes up to run across my bottom lip and I pull away slightly.

"Who?" is the only thing he asks and I become confused. How in the hell did he know someone did this? I could have just bit my lip or run into somethin'? I decide to play dumb.

"What do you mean?" I ask and his eyes harden into a glare makin' me take a small step backwards.

"I ain't stupid. Who?" he says then asks again. I open my mouth to tell him to mind his own business but I hear Two-Bit's car comin' so I just turn around at walk to meet him. I can feel Tim's eyes on my back and ignore the shiver that goes through me. Two-Bit stops alongside me and I climb in, keepin' my face out of his sight.

"Where's the grease? Didn't even wait with you? Jesus, what if some Soc had come along? It's dark as hell outside," he asks before muttering angrily. I just sight and lean my head against the seat, watching the houses go by like I did on the way to the Nightly Double. It's silent the rest of the way home but I can tell Two-Bit is barely containin' himself. When we get home I'm out and joggin' up the steps before he can shut the car off. I hear him jog after me but I just barrel through the livin' room, ignoring the greetings and questions thrown at me by the rest of the gang. I keep my head down until I make it to my room and shut the door. I lean back against it, starin' at the ceiling. What a shitty first date.

**Okay guys, I'm actually pretty happy and proud of this chapter. I'm pretty sure it's the longest one I've ever written, so I should totally get an award or something ;) Actually, the best reward would be reviews from all of YOU! Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas. Like I've said before, constructive criticism is definitely welcome and appreciated! LOVE YOU GUYS!**

** LilCrafty6 **


	6. Chapter 5

**HELLO! So, this chapter is really late because I've been having computer problems but my laptop is good to go now so don't worry! New chapters will be pumped out at a nice, steady pace now hopefully. I really want to thank ** **, **clarissa**, **my oh mighty**, **Rockerchick09**, **Yehhhok**, and **Dallytookmetobucks **for their lovely reviews! Remember, the longer the better ;) I did get a comment about how Luke's character wasn't developed very well and as I went back and read through the chapter again, I totally agree! I was thinking about maybe having Luke come back into the story a little later on and we'll get a better glimpse of the kind of person he is. Sound okay? Please review, it really inspires me! MUCH LOVE **

I tear off my clothes with a huff, wincing when I accidentally bump my lip, and throw them in a corner. Pulling on my brown cotton shorts and baggy t-shirt I decide to sneak down the hall and into the bathroom to clean my lip the best I could. As I dap my bloody lip with a damp cloth I sigh, feelin' my eyes well up with tears. The first guy that asks me out on a date turns out to be a perverted asshole. Of course. A tear drips down my face but I wipe it away quickly, glarin' at myself in the mirror.

"Don't you dare cry over an asshole like that! He's not worth it!" I whisper to my reflection furiously. Once my eyes aren't watery and red anymore I take a deep breath and head out into the living room. I settle down in between Soda and Steve on the couch, huggin' a pillow to my chest to keep warm. Darry peeks at me from over the newspaper he's reading but quickly folds it up when his eyes zero in on my lip. I know Steve and Soda have noticed too because they shift forward in their seats to get a better look at my face. I see Two-Bit leanin' in the doorway of the kitchen with a scowl on his face and fire in his eyes.

"I handled it, okay? Just let it go," I say as Darry opens his mouth to speak. I didn't want them to drag out tonight's happenings any longer by vowing to find Luke and beat the crap out of him. I honestly just wanted to forget about bein' forced into a kiss on my first ever date.

"First off, what did you have to handle? And second, how did you handle it?" Darry asks, crossing his arms over his chest with a stony expression on his face.

"Luke kissed me suddenly so I kicked him," I say, tryin' to water down the story.

"You mean he was kissin' you when you didn't want him to!" Two-Bit spits out, his scowl deepening and I roll my eyes, standin' up from the couch.

"Goodnight," I say before walkin' back to my room, ignoring the protests of the gang to come back and explain what happened in detail. About an hour later I fall asleep snuggled under my covers with Lucky purring quietly next to my head.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

It was now Tuesday night and the whole gang except Darry is at the Nightly Double. It was boiling outside so all the guys had their shirts off and tucked into their back pocket, lettin' them swing around. I was wearin' my shortest jean shorts and a flowy pink tank top that was sticking to the sweat on my back, making me grimace in disgust. My flip-flops were covered in dust from the walk here but I was only focused on getting an ice cold Pepsi at the moment. I was about halfway to concessions, clutching the dime Two-Bit had given me in my sweaty palm, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around only to come face to face with none other than Luke Duran. I immediately started to glare at him and turned back around to walk away but he slid around me, stoppin' my escape. Luke, like the rest of the male greaser population, was without a shirt but the extra weight around his hips bounced as he laughed at my attempt to get away and I grimaced.

"Babe, where ya goin'? Ya never gave me the chance to ask you out on another date after our first one the other night," he says with a smile and my glare gets even more heated. My hands are clenched and I just want to walk away but the rest of his gang has stepped up to surround us.

"Why would I want to go out with you again after you acted like a complete asshole?" I ask, crossin' my arms across my chest as his eyes wander. I realize now that I should have listened to the gang and not gone out on a date with someone I hadn't even known for a day. Luke was just like most of the other greaser guys, a perverted asshole only after one thing. Sex.

"Come on, babe, maybe I moved a bit too fast but you'll come around!" he says with a confident smirk and I just keep my glare on him. I go to push past him but his arm snaps up to wrap around my bicep in an iron grip, making me bite my still busted up lip in pain. He's not smilin' anymore and I become nervous, hopin' someone will come looking for me soon.

"Let go," I say, noticing how my voice wavers, making him and his friends laugh. I glance behind Luke as he's caught up laughing and make eye contact with Tim Shepard who's makin' a beeline straight for us. I feel my muscles relax in relief before I realize it and let my eyes drop to his shirtless torso. Unlike Luke, Tim has a six-pack and his skin is tanned to a perfect bronze color. I look away quickly, my cheeks beginning to turn red and take a calming breath. I expect Tim to intimidate Luke into letting me go but I freeze in shock when he taps him on the shoulder and throws a hard punch. I'm immediately free and scramble to the side as Luke's buddies charge Tim, makin' me hold my breath in worry. As I watch Tim take down Luke and his friends I realize that maybe Pony had been right, and Tim was just a dangerous hood.

"Damn, Rosey, you really know how to rile a guy up," I suddenly hear Dallas say from over my shoulder and I jump a little before glancing up at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, feelin' defensive, not understanding why Dally is so amused at this whole situation.

"You think Shepard would come to the rescue of any old greaser girl? He was mad as fuck when I told him about your little _date _with captain douchebag over there," Dally says, mockin' the word date and motioning towards a groaning Luke. I look over and notice Tim is now starin' at me, but what makes me jump a little is the cold glare he has. Before I have any time to react, he's turned around and stalked off toward the front entrance of the Nightly Double. I'm frozen to the spot, in shock that a guy that had been somewhat sweet and nice to me had just given me a death glare. I feel Dally tug me back toward the gang and follow him, trying to process what all had just happened.

"Jesus Christ, Lily, what the hell is that?" I hear Soda ask as I walk up and snap out of my daze, glancin' down at my arm. I sigh at the dark bruising there and just shrug, sinkin' down into my seat and staring blankly at the movie screen. I vaguely hear Dally tell them what went down but stay tuned out of any more conversation for the rest of the night. It isn't until I'm lyin' in my bed later that night that I realize why I'm so upset. The crush I thought was small, stupid, and pointless has turned into something big. I was depressed that Tim was angry with me, and that made _me _angry. What right did he have to control my emotions and play with me like this? I sit up in my bed, glarin' at the wall and cursing Tim Shepard into the deepest pits of hell.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

I honestly think God hates me. Not only did he think it was funny to make it rain on the one day I was forced to take the ten-minute walk to work, but he thought it would be hilarious to sit Tim and his gang in my section of the diner. Soaked to the bone, I angrily throw off my old coat and tie an apron around my waist, wanting to serve him quickly so he would leave as soon as possible. As I took the Shepard gang's orders, I once again felt Tim's eyes on my but this time it just made me angry. Luck, however, was not on my side as Tim's gang left about twenty minutes later but he didn't. He managed to stare at me the entire time I worked my five-hour shift, causin' my anger to steadily rise until I was shakin' with rage. At the end of my shift I quickly rushed out the front door of the diner and into the rain that was still comin' down, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my coat. I was about halfway home when Tim finally stepped in front of me, lightning softly illuminating his face every few seconds. I feel my control snap and my hand flies across his face, creating a resounding _smack _and throwin' his head to the side. My anger quickly deflates and I stand there, hand still raised and breathing heavily, barely feeling the rain drip down my face. It's silent for a few seconds before Tim slowly turns his head back to face me, a smirk present on his lips. My anger starts to rise again and my hand drops to my side, clenchin' into a fist.

"Feel better, babe?" Tim asks and I scowl at him, my anger bubblin' just below the surface. Surprisingly, him calling me babe doesn't irritate me like it did with Luke, if anything it makes my anger deflate a little bit.

"What the hell is your problem? Do you think it's funny to play with my emotions? And what the hell did I do to make you angry in the first place? The last time I even talked to you before the Nightly Double two days ago was after that stupid rumble!" I yell, stompin' my foot like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum. Tim's smirk disappears and he glares at me, takin' a step forward so we're nose to nose.

"Bullshit. We talked the night of your _date_ remember? And you were a bitch to me, so I can be pissed off all I want. And how the fuck am I playin' with your emotions? If anythin', you're playin' with mine!" Tim says back, not yelling but his voice deepens with anger, and he sneers out the word date like it was a disease. My mind flashes back to after I kicked Luke and my anger deflates once again. I guess I was kind of a bitch, but how dare he accuse me of playin' with his emotions! He always acts like he doesn't even have any because it makes him look tuff!

"I am _not _playin' with your emotions because you don't have any, remember? You always act like you don't care about anything or anyone, so obviously nothing I do is gonna hurt you! I'm sorry I was a bitch, but I had a rough night, okay?" I yell back, pushin' against his chest and he takes a step back, his glare never wavering. It's raining harder now and the thunder is deafening, but neither of us notices as we keep screamin' at each other.

"Jesus Christ! You're so clueless! Just shut the fuck up!" Tim yells, louder than he had been and suddenly walks forward. Before I realize what's happening, his hand slips behind my head and he yanks me towards him. His lips slam down on mine, moving slowly as I stand there too shocked to do anything. As his other arm slides around my waist to pull me closer my eyes slide shut, my lips slowly moving with his. I let my hands wrap around his neck as we shuffle even closer together, every inch of our bodies touching. Suddenly Tim pulls away and is walking back toward the diner quickly, leavin' me breathless and confused. Who the hell kisses someone like that then walks away? Life is so confusing.

**Okay, guys so it wasn't that long but I wanted to get a chapter up for you guys! It's not my best chapter either, but I wanted to make some progress with Tim and Lilyrose's relationship. I didn't want them to just kiss and suddenly be perfectly happy together, though, which is why Tim walked away. He's still having problems accepting how he feels and this is going to be a reoccurring problem for him. It's gonna be a long, bumpy road to complete happiness but stick around because they'll get there eventually **** MUCH LOVE! Oh, next chapter should be up by tomorrow night if I can keep my ideas flowing. If it's not up tomorrow night, then plan for Tuesday or Wednesday night!**

** LilCrafty6 **


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I haven't updated because I've been having a lot of shitty situations come up, but I'm back now! I want to thank **Yehhhok**, ** **, **G**,** **and two guests for reviewing the previous chapter. On a side note, if you're reviewing anonymously please leave a nickname or something other than **anonymous** so I can give you full credit for your review :) I'm not gonna go and stalk you or something, but I understand if you're wary about releasing private information like that. Enjoy and PPLLEEAASSEE review!**

My hair was plastered to my face in thick strands as the rain continued to pour down but I couldn't move, lost in my own thoughts. I am completely sure that my crush has NOT gone away because all I want is for Tim to come back and kiss me again. The memory of his strong, lean body pressed up against me made my face flush. The sound of a car zooming by makes me jump and I look around, noticing how dark it was startin' to get, before hightailing it home. As I'm walking up the steps the door is yanked open and Pony is standing with a towel and a frown.

"Outta all the days there was no one to drive you back and forth work, it had to be today," he mumbles as I step past him and into the warm living room. I peel off my old jacket and Pony takes it, making a beeline for the laundry room. I roll my eyes at his worry of it getting moldy and stinkin' up the house. When I take my shoes off a small puddle of water rushes out making me grimace and set them outside on the porch where the rain couldn't get to them. I dry myself off the best I can with the towel so I'm not drippin' water through the house before going to get clothes for a nice hot shower.

"Pony, I'm gettin' in the shower! Can you start dinner and I'll finish it when I get out?" I yell and I hear him grunt in response as the sound of pots banging around fills the air. As soon as the water is steaming I jump in and let the water relax my tense muscles. As the water runs down my body and through my long, thick hair I close my eyes with a sigh. The fact that Tim Shepard showed any emotion at all makes me think that this won't just blow over. I hear the screen door slam and open my eyes, quickly washing my hair and body before dryin' off and running to my room. After slipping on a pair of Soda's old sweats and a long sleeved shirt I head for the living room, running my fingers through my wet hair.

"Rosebud, come quick and drink this. I don't wantcha gettin' sick," Darry says holding up a steaming mug of what looks like hot chocolate. I take my time sipping it, slouching next to Soda and wrapped in a blanket. Slowly the rest of the gang files in, soaked to the bone and complaining loudly. A few hours go by and it's now midnight so I shuffle off to bed, climbin' over some of the gang that have crashed on the floor. As soon as my head hits the pillow I fall asleep, the memory of Tim Shepard's lips on mine flashing behind my lids.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

The second I opened my eyes the next morning I groaned, stretchin' my aching limbs. It felt like there was cotton in my mouth and if I didn't know any better I'd say someone had hit me in the head with a hammer. My blankets were damp with sweat so I pushed them off, huggin' my pillow and drifting back to sleep. The next time I woke up everything was blurry and my arms felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. Tim's face flashed through my mind and I smiled a little, lettin' his name slip from my lips in a whisper. The few seconds before I fell back asleep I could have sworn I saw Darry's face lookin' down at me with a worried look but I let my eyes slide shut and welcomed the black abyss. These few seconds of consciousness occurred many times over the next three days, a new member of the gang appearing each time.

I was finally able to see clearly and sit up three days later, at least that's how long Soda told me I'd been sick for. It was confusing to open my eyes and see Steve sitting in a chair next to my bed asleep and he jumped when I nudged him awake. As soon as our gazes locked he jumped up and ran to the doorway, hollerin' so loud I had to cover my ears.

"She's awake!" he screeched before running back and putting a hand to my forehead. What sounds like a herd of elephants begins in the living room and comes toward my bedroom, makin' me raise my eyebrows. Darry is the first one in the room with bags under his eyes but lookin' relieved. The rest of the gang piles into the room after him, Dally being the last with a huge smirk on his face and smoking a fag.

"Put it out, Dally," I say and frown when my voice comes out as a croak. He rolls his eyes but stubs it out on his Christopher medal anyways, leanin' up against the wall and crossing his legs.

"How ya feelin', Rosebud? You had us all pretty worried," Darry says, putting his hand on my cheek then movin' it up to my forehead.

"My head hurts, but I feel okay," I say and Pony mutters something about Tylenol and slips from the room.

"Alright, everybody out we need to let the sick one get some more rest," Darry says and everyone shuffles over to give me hugs before heading back out to the living room. As I fall back into my pillow and sigh I realize Dally is still in the room smirking at me. He's wearin' his usual blue jeans, boots, and white t-shirt but his black leather jacket is missing. The Christopher medal that hangs around his neck glints as it catches the light coming in from the window.

"Dally? Did you need something?" I ask and he pushes off the wall to sit in the seat Steve left empty by my bedside when he left.

"Pony said you were home twenty minutes after your shift ended," is all he says and I move my eyes from him to the ceiling, the events of that night flashin' through my mind. I tense up and roll over on my side, showing Dally my back and hoping he would get the hint to leave. I hear him get up and the bed dips as he leans over me, restin' his arms by the wall. I roll my eyes and look at him, sighing in irritation at his smirk.

"I waited in the diner to see if the rain would stop but gave up after ten minutes. So what?" I say, lyin' through my teeth and shrugging as best as I can with Dally layin' partially over me.

"You know, Tim came into Bucks the same night lookin' like a drowned rat around the same time Pony said you showed up at home," Dally says with an ever-widening smirk and I huff, pushing him off me and shovin' the covers off my legs. As I stand up all the blood rushes from my head and I sway, black spots dotting my vision. I feel Dally's hands grip my waist as he stands up and I lean into him unsteadily.

"It doesn't just rain in one place Dal, he was probably just out with his gang and got caught in the rain," I say, closin' my eyes to stop the spinning. Dally picks me up and puts me back in bed, pausing in the doorway and looking back at me.

"You know you freaked Darry out when you kept whispering Tim's name while you were knocked out," he says, a smirk evident in his voice and my eyes snap open to stare at the ceiling. I look over and see Dally's already gone so I just groan and roll onto my stomach, buryin' my face into the pillow. I have to stop thinking about him.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

I was about ready to pull the hair out of my head. It was now Wednesday night, two days since I had woken up from being sick, and the gang was being especially rowdy. Two-Bit was drunk off his ass, Steve and Soda were wrestling in the living room over a game of poker one of them supposedly cheated on, Darry and Pony were arguing about homework, and Dally was smoking like a chimney. The only person not causing trouble was Johnny, and thank God for that because I feel like I'm going insane. The two of us are currently in the kitchen makin' dinner, Johnny stirring the spaghetti and sauce as I make the garlic bread. When I got up this morning I threw my hair up in a messy bun, my bangs hanging out, before tuggin' on a pair of skinny jeans and a red tank top. It's misting rain outside as I peer out the window that sits over the kitchen window and I sigh, wiping some sweat off my forehead.

"I'm sure they'll settle down, Lily," Johnny says and I smile over at him before directing my attention to the phone that just started ringing. I grab it off the wall and sit in a chair at the kitchen table.

"Curtis residence," I say and furrow my brows when Angel's squeaky voice comes through the speaker.

"Lilyrose, it's Angel! Some of the girls and I are headed to the DeMarcus house for a party! Come with!" she says, laughing loudly at the the mumbled voices I can hear in the background. I was about to respond when I realized Johnny was still in the kitchen, standin' at the stove, and I switched over to our 'code' words we used when any of the guys were around.

"Sure, I bet Darry would let me sleep over. I'll ask him and be over in a half hour!" I say with fake happiness and the curious look that was on Johnny's face is replaced with a blush. It's so easy to fluster Johnny, I mean I was only talkin' about a sleepover and he turns beet red!

"Alright, see you at eleven-thirty at the old fairgrounds and we'll walk there together. Don't bother bringin' your sleepin' bag, we'll crash on Annie's bed," she says, slipping into code as well so I can only assume that one of the Shepard gang appeared. She means we'll be out all night without gettin' a wink of sleep and I roll my eyes. After hangin' up, Johnny and I finish dinner and call the boys to the table.

"Hey Darry, is it okay if I spend the night at Angel's? She's seein' this new guy and wants me over so she can brag about him," I ask before giving what I hope is a good excuse. I force an eyeroll, hating that I have to lie to Darry, but feelin' the need to let loose for a night and have some fun.

"That's fine. You stay at her house though, you hear me?" he asks after a few seconds and I nod my head in agreement. I quickly finish my dinner and wash my dishes before throwin' my party clothes is a bag and flying out the front door. The screen door bangs shut behind me as I step out into the warm night air, throwing a half-hearted goodbye behind me at the gang. It takes me about ten minutes to walk to the fairgrounds because I stop at Annie's house to change, leaving my bag in her room to pick up on my way home tomorrow morning. Annie is almost an exact copy of Angel, except that she's a few inches taller with red hair instead of brown. As we walk to the old fairgrounds together I shiver as the breeze rustles my long hair around my shoulders and wrap my jacket tighter around my body. I was wearing a black leather skirt with a flowy white top, completed by three inch nude heels. As we approach the large fence surrounding the empty grounds Angel is already there smokin' a fag.

"Hey bitches, let's get a move on," she says, stubbing out her fag with a well placed stomp of her heel-clad foot. We walk for about fifteen minutes before we could see a house surrounded by people with music pouring out the windows. The three of us split up at the front door; Annie heading for the dance floor, Angel goin' straight to a bunch of greasers who were smoking a joint, and I went for the makeshift drink table. Grabbing an unopened can of beer, I pop it open and take a sip before slitherin' onto the dance floor.

Sipping my drink while dancing, about a half hour passed so I decided to take a break. I down another beer quickly and started to feel like giggling at everything. About twenty minutes later I had chugged another two beers and was feelin' pretty unsteady on my feet. As I stumbled my way through the crowd towards the front door I run into a hard chest and would have fallen on my ass if two strong arms hadn't wrapped around my waist. I slowly look up into the eyes of a buzzed Tim Shepard and instantly feel my anger start to build. I try to shove my way out of his arms but he holds tight and just smirks at me.

"Who do we have here? If it isn't little Lilyrose Curtis at a party. You're gang know where you are?" he asks and I scowl at him, giving a nice backhanded slap to his chest.

"Fuck off Tim! Go be an ass to someone else!" I say and he frowns at me before sighing. Before I have time to think of a good insult he leans down and presses his lips to mine. After a few seconds my shoulders sag as the tension leaves my body and my arms wrap around Tim's neck. We stand there as the party rages on around us, lips parting and tongues wrestling. It seems like hours later that we finally separate and he leads me to the dance floor. We dance together for at least an hour, grinding against each other and I can feel the sweat drippin' down my neck.

Tim soon grabs me around the waist and hauls me through the crowd and out the front door, glaring at people who would occasionally bump into us. As we finally make it out into the fresh air, I lean against Tim as we start walking down the street. We're both pretty sober now and I can feel myself starting to get angry over our last 'encounter'. I push away from the sturdy body that had been holdin' me upright and stalk off towards home, not caring that the gang would know I'd been out drinking.

"Where the hell do you think you're goin'?" Tim yells out before grabbing my wrist and spinnin' me into his chest. I push against him but he holds me still, sighing.

"I'm fuckin' sorry, alright? For the yellin' the other night. I know bein' out in the rain got you sicker than a dog," he says and I stop struggling against him, shocked. Tim Shepard just apologized. To me. And he sounds guilty that I got sick. What the hell is this world coming too? It takes me a few seconds to process his words and I allow my head to fall against his chest, not willing to get into a deep discussion about what the hell that kiss meant. Oh, and the kiss back at the party but I think that one was the alcohol talkin'.

"Okay," is all I say and he shifts our position, slinging an arm around my shoulder and leadin' us back towards my house.

"Your brothers are gonna find out about the party anyways, Crawley's gang was there," Tim says and I groan. Crawley's gang has a lot of kids Ponyboy's age in it who are always lookin' to get on our good side. There's no doubt that one of them has already dropped by the house and told the gang where I was. Twenty minutes later Tim is headin' off down the sidewalk alone as I open the screen door slowly, wincing at the fact that the living room lights are on. As I slip off my heels I see that the entire gang except for Steve and Johnny are sprawled out around the living room, lookin' up at me with different expressions. Dally and Two-Bit are smirking while Soda looks relieved. Pony looks disappointed and Darry looks madder than a bull.

"You are no longer allowed to see Tim Shepard. Go to bed," Darry says lookin' me dead in the eye and I freeze mid-step. What the hell?

**It's currently 12:16am the day after Christmas and I have been slaving away over this chapter. I am truly sorry for the delay but chapters should be popping up more often :) I know I could have made this chapter longer but I really wanted to give you guys something to read. I'll be working on the next chapter over break now, but I'm not sure when it'll be up! Please review!**

**LilCrafty6 :D**


	8. Author's Note IMPORTANT

**Hey everybody! So for those of you that had already read chapter 7, you'll notice that I took it down. The reason for that is because as I went to bed the night after posting the chapter I couldn't help but feel somewhat frustrated. **

**It didn't take the story in the direction I wanted it to and I feel like it isn't fair to you guys to just 'go with the flow' because I do have a vague outline for this story and I owe it to all of you to stick with it. **

**I've decided to revise the chapter, keeping some parts that I feel fit with the story and how I want it to go, but changing the majority of it. **

**I've also decided to make it a bit longer because I'm changing up some events that happen. I'm sorry for the delay, but the revised chapter should be up in two days at the most because I won't be able to focus very well until it's fixed and I feel happy with it. **

**Thank you for the reviews, I just hope that they stay relatively the same for the revised chapter! Stick with me, and thank you for understanding!**

** J :)**


	9. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Here's the revised chapter, and I feel a lot better about the direction the story is taking so I hope you all agree. Thank you for the reviews of the original chapter, I just hope you guys are just as happy if not more with this one! Please review with your honest opinion and maybe some ideas for the future of the story. Also let me know if you have any questions or are confused. ENJOY ~~**

Never in my life had I ever heard our house this quiet, and it made me even more angry. Was no one gonna stand up for me? They went out and partied all the time, why the hell couldn't I?!

"No," I say, surprised at how calm my voice was and I know I wasn't the only one. The guys are all lookin' nervously between Darry, who's face is turnin' purple in rage, and mine, which is stony and cold.

"Excuse me?" Darry asks, taking a step closer to me and my glare intensifies while my hands clench in anger.

"I said no. You can't stop me from seeing him!" I say before yelling, makin' everyone except Darry jump. Darry's breathing gets even heavier and the veins in his neck are pulsing, showing me just how much he's tryin' to control his anger.

"Yes I can, and I will! What the hell were you doin' at that party, Lilyrose? You lied right to my face!" He yells and I feel tears buildin' up, but refuse to let them fall.

"The guys go to parties all the time! And why the hell am I not allowed to see Tim anymore?" I scream back and Darry lets out a loud, angry laugh before leanin' close to my face.

"Tim is a no good hood, Lilyrose! You keep hangin' around him and you'll end up pregnant or dead!" he yells and I let out a loud scream before stomping towards my room before I end up doin' something I regret. I hear him follow me into my room while the rest of the guys stay crowded around the doorway.

"Stop bein' such a hypocrite and don't tell me what to do! Tim isn't a hood, you just can't accept any more guys in my life other than the gang!" I scream as I rip clothes out of my dresser and closet to wear for bed.

"You're grounded for two months, and don't ever talk back to me like that again," Darry says in a quiet voice, his jaw clenched, and the rest of the gang part like the Red Sea to let him through the door. They all glance at me before followin' Darry like puppies, making me roll my eyes as I throw my pajamas on quickly and flop into bed. Lucky had been disturbed by the yellin' and was sitting, tail curled around her paws, lookin' at me with her big brown eyes. I sigh and pull her close, closing my eyes and listenin' to her start to purr, almost as if she knew I needed it. Before I realize it, I've drifted off to sleep.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

The air is still tense a few days later, but all conversation is kept civil and not too rowdy in fear of disturbin' the current peace. Darry and I haven't talked face to face but the rest of the gang tells me he's pretty mad, but I still don't think it's fair. The boys never got in trouble for going to parties and comin' home late, and the one time I do it Darry grounds me for two months? I know for a fact that he went to his fair share of parties and came home after curfew lots of times! As I lay in bed, my mind once again flashes to Tim Shepard.

He hasn't been brought up around the house and the topic has become somewhat of an elephant in the room. This train of thought leads me to an epiphany and I feel the excitement and nervousness start bubbling up. I throw off my covers, disturbing Lucky and pattin' her on the head in apology, before putting on a pair of skinny jeans, my white canvas shoes, and a red tank-top with a black cardigan in case I get cold. I tip-toe through the house, rollin' my eyes and shaking my head at Two-Bit who's passed out drunk on the couch.

I write a quick note to the gang, telling them that there was somethin' I needed to do and that I would be back before morning. I figured that if I got back before anyone else saw the note I could just toss it, but I didn't want anyone panicking if they woke up and I was missin'. The fifteen minute walk to Buck's was nerve-wracking and I had to force myself to climb the steps and push open the door when I finally got there. The party inside was more low-key than on the weekends and I pushed my way through the dance floor lookin' for a familiar set of dark eyes.

When I spot the person I was plannin' on confessing my feelings for, my heart splinters at the sight of a scantily clad greaser girl straddling him. A few seconds pass as I feel tears well up in my eyes, and when Tim looks up at me with glassy, drunken eyes I turn around and shove through the crowd. I burst out the door and wipe my face, taking deep breaths, as I start off back down the road.

Suddenly a hand clumsily grabs my wrist and I let out a little scream, whipping around ready to punch the person in the face as best I could. I freeze when I see Tim staring down at me with clearer eyes, but soon snap out of my trance when the image I had seen moments before pops back into my head. I try pullin' my arm out of his grasp but he holds firm, sighing.

"Stop, I'm not lettin' go until you tell me why you're here," he says in a hard voice and I scoff, the tears fallin' from my eyes now as I try to hold them back.

"I don't have to tell you anything. Go back to your little whore, because I have nothin' to say," I croak out, my heart clenching when I spit out the word whore, and his hand tightens a little bit on my wrist. He tugs me closer to him and uses his other hand to grasp my chin and force me to look him in the eye.

"Now you listen to me babe, she's nothin'. She came onto me and I was tellin' her to go the fuck away," he says, anger burnin' in his eyes and the tears fall faster now as I try and shove him away, not knowin' whether to trust him or not.

"I'm going home! Let me go!" I scream and he just tightens his hold even more, causing me to squirm in desperation.

"Why are you here? Did you just come to yell at me, to piss me off?" he yells and I give him one last shove, finally breakin' free of his hold and reeling backwards in surprise. My ankles hit the curb and I fall onto my ass in a muddy puddle, becoming covered in crap and startin' an entirely new level of bawling.

Tim sighs and shrugs out of his jacket, sliding it over my shoulders before pickin' me up and sitting on the curb away from the puddle, adjusting me so I was sitting sideways in his lap. I'm cryin' so hard at this point that I just slump against him, defeated.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch, it was just confusing, and I really like you. But Darry hates me now, and said I wasn't allowed to see you anymore. And now you're with that other girl, and I messed everything up," I manage to get out between my bouts of crying and after a few minutes of silence I'm only sniffling and I peek up at Tim who's starin' up at the sky with a very serious face.

I feel my stomach and heart drop when I realize that he doesn't like me anymore, that maybe he never did and was just being nice because I was the sister of some of his friends.

I feel the tears threatening to start again and push off Tim, who lets me up with no fight making my heart break a little more. I walk away slowly, not daring to look back, but hoping that he would follow me. Before I realize it, I'm standin' on the porch wrapped in Tim's jacket looking out into the darkness slowly disappearing with the rising sun.

I feel my heart finally break in half when I realize Tim wasn't going to follow and stop me, so I slide down the wall and put my arms around my knees. I don't know how long it was before the sun finally rose, but I do know that I just sat there staring at the beautiful sunrise covered in mud and tears.

It was probably around seven that I heard movement in the house that soon moved out onto the porch, stoppin' short when I came into view. Fortunately, it was Soda and he didn't say anything as he observed my face before sittin' down next to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I leaned onto my twin's shoulder, letting the tears fall silently this time because I was exhausted and we just sat there.

Soda understood that nothing he could say would make me feel better right now, and I had never been so grateful to have a twin that knew me so well. We were interrupted about twenty minutes later by Two-Bit walking onto the porch. He stops when he sees us sittin' there, Soda in his pajamas and me covered in mud and Tim's jacket, before moving on into the house after Soda subtly shakes his head. The door isn't slammed but shut quietly and I close my eyes, allowing myself to drift into a dreamless sleep.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

My eyes feel swollen and dry when I wake up in Soda and Pony's room later that day, still dressed in my muddy clothes but Tim's jacket is missing. As I think of Tim, my heart spasms and a few tears fall before I wipe them away and vow to stop crying over him. After showering and changin' into a pair of Soda's old sweatpants and a white t-shirt of Darry's I shuffle into kitchen, ignoring the gang in the living room who all turn to look at me. I hear whispering before Soda walks into the kitchen, smilin' though it looks strained. I sigh and answer his question before he even asks it.

"I'm fine," I say as I get a glass of water from the sink and walk back to my room, once again ignoring everyone in the living room. I quietly shut my door, set the glass of water on my desk, and sink onto my bed allowing Lucky to curl up in my lap. I absentmindedly stroke her soft fur as I begin reading The Grapes of Wrath. I'm not able to concentrate so I decide to go back to sleep.

The next time I wake up it's dark outside and there's a plate of food on my night stand. I crack a small smile at Darry's thoughtfulness, happy that he isn't completely ignoring me, and nibble on some of it before puttin' it back in the kitchen and grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch.

Two-Bit is passed out in the living room while Dally is smoking in the recliner, starin' at me with an unreadable expression. I ignore him and shuffle out onto the porch, sittin' on the steps wrapped in the blanket and looking out into the darkness. A few minutes pass before Dally comes out in just his jeans and settles down next to me, lighting another fag and taking a puff. We sit in the dark for a while before Dally decides to get to the bottom of my problems.

"Where were ya yesterday night? Seemed pretty bummed when you got back," he says quietly and I'm surprised at how reserved and solemn he's being. I don't say anything for a few seconds, eyes flickerin' from star to star slowly.

"Just had to go see someone, that's all," I mumble and he flicks the butt of his cigarette away and turns to look at me with an uncharacteristic sigh.

"He'll come around," he says after a few minutes of observing my face and goes back inside, his Christopher medal thumpin' against his bare chest. I'm surprised at how observant Dally is, and feel a fresh wave of tears threatening to fall from my already swollen eyes.

"Not this time," I whisper to the moon before shufflin' back inside to my room, passing a now sleeping Dally on the recliner.

**Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump**

I couldn't sleep. It's been five days since Dally and I talked on the porch, well more like since Dally talked to me on the porch, and my life was a complete mess. Darry and I were at least talkin' now, though it was polite and only done when necessary. I still felt as though he had betrayed me by treating me like the baby of the gang, which he swore he would never do. But the main source of my sleepin' problem is Tim Shepard. After confessing my feelings to him and walking away I've seen Tim only twice.

The first time was on my way to work, when he was standin' in front of the local grocery store with some of his gang smoking a fag. The second my eyes landed on his leather-clad form I wanted to be invisible and my heart stung. I quickly locked my eyes onto the ground and quickened my steps, even though they're on the other side of the street. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally step inside the diner and feel the familiar sting come to my eyes, but refuse to let the tears fall.

The second time I saw Tim was in the diner on my lunch break. He walked by outside the window with his brother Curly, glancing in and meetin' my eye. I couldn't read the expression on his face because he left so quickly, but I hoped that it was one of regret for lettin' me walk away. At this point, I was starting to get a little angry with Tim for making me feel sorry for myself like this so I vowed to start actin' like myself again. And for a week, it worked.

Until Ponyboy and Johnny dragged me to the Nightly Double, convinced I was still moping about but only in secret now. I threw on a pair of white shorts and a pink tank top with black flats. I decided to leave my sweater at home because it was uncharacteristically hot for August here in Tulsa. We had no trouble gettin' there, and Johnny helped me up from the hole under the fence as Ponyboy got distracted by the Soc Cherry Valance who was a ways away with some of her friends. I sigh, clappin' a hand on his shoulder and pulling him over to the seats with Johnny and I.

"I'm gonna get us some Cokes and popcorn," Ponyboy says, rushin' off and I look at Johnny who smiles a little bit.

"Goin' to stalk Cherry, I bet," he says quietly and I giggle, nodding my head.

"Have you seen this movie before? I heard it's about the beach or somethin'," I ask, settling into my seat further and angling my body more towards Johnny. He's without his infamous jean jacket tonight because of the heat, but his old jeans and loose black t-shirt are still there along with his shyness.

"Nah, that's why me and Pony wanted to come tonight," he says and I nod, jumping about a foot in the air when Ponyboy pops up right next to me with Cokes and popcorn in his arms. I take a small Coke and small popcorn before lettin' him climb over me to get to his seat on the other side of Johnny. Ponyboy leans over Johnny to ask me something but the screen starts to play the movie and he frowns, leanin' back in his seat.

I direct my attention to the movie where a woman is laughing with her friends on the beach, checkin' out a group of cute guys. The movie seems to pass in the blink of an eye, and the three of us turn to smile at each other when it ends. Empty popcorn buckets and cups are scattered around our feet along with the occasional piece of popcorn and I feel more at peace than I thought was possible with everything going on.

We sit there for about five minutes discussin' our opinion of the movie when suddenly shouting begins. I stand up to get a better look at the commotion by the concession stand but Johnny grabs my arm and starts to pull me towards the hole in the fence. I blindly stumble along behind him, getting flashes of the fight going on.

One of the greasers fighting suddenly looks at me, breathing heavily, and my heart thumps rapidly when I meet Tim's eyes. He's not wearin' a shirt and sweat is drippin' down his face, hair still perfectly greased. I wince when the other guy lands a punch straight to his jaw as he's distracted and Pony steps in front of my line of vision, an understanding look on his face.

I shake it off, climbing back under the fence after Johnny. As we start off back towards home I look back at where the fight was and almost fall over in shock when I see Tim leanin' against the fence, still inside the Nightly Double, watching me go. He's still missin' his shirt and a cut is bleeding lightly on his forehead, but his eyes stay trained on me. I take a deep breath, turning around and walking away from him. And once again, he doesn't follow.

**So there it is, the revised chapter! I was able to finish it before tonight because we're getting out early because of snow, so YAY! Let me know what you thought, and any ideas you might have. The next chapter should be up within a week, I've got really good ideas for it. Thank you, and please REVIEW!**

**J :)**


End file.
